Day 94 Hiking Crater Lake Rim

Day 94

August 22nd

19.5 miles

PCT mile 1852.5

"Sunrise and breakfast" was our 6am wake up call from Buffalo. I slept great but felt could have used a few extra hours of sleep, nonetheless I packed up quickly and headed up to the lodge to get coffee and breakfast.

Hornsby asked as we sat down to breakfast, "Everything Ok?"

"Everything's fine" I smile, "just not a morning person, if you haven't figured that out by now."

Once I ate my breakfast and had several cups of coffee, I was my happy, cheery self.

Nothing like a hot breakfast and coffee to perk me up in the morning.

The four of us at Crater Rim Lodge

After breakfast we headed out to hike the the rim. About a mile in, I'm not sure what exactly happened but I face planted straight down onto the trail. My pack was so heavy with my new resupply and carrying 27 miles of water, I couldn't get up, I layed there just laughing at myself and imagining how ridiculous I must look flailing my arms and legs trying to get leverage to get up. Sanford and Buffalo were up a ways ahead, but I was sure Hornsby was going to come up behind me and have his fair share of laughing too, but he must have been quite a ways behind, because I eventually was able to get myself up before he found me sprawled out on the trail. I dusted myself off and continued on my way to the Watchman Tower, where we regrouped.

Watchman Tower overlooking Crater Lake

Some pictures from the Watchman Tower:

After the trail dropped off the rim, we all dispersed separating ourselves by our own pace and breaks. By 4:00pm I was feeling pretty tired I really wanted to be done hiking by 6:00pm. Hornsby and Buffalo were up ahead and I wasn't sure where exactly they were going to stop or if they were going to push 27 miles to the water. Then at 5:30pm I found this:

By 6:00pm I found Guy on a Buffalo and Hornsby in a nice camping spot, fire already started...I was so excited to see them so early and have a spot with a fire pit. But on top of all that Buffalo met a dad and son car camping that wanted to give us a bunch of food. By the end of the night we had a feast: cheese and sausage, canned pears and plums, Fritos, and corn on the cob. Dad came over with his son and played the harmonica for a while and then just visited with us. He even made us a bunch of hard boiled eggs for the morning and gave us some bagels and cream cheese. It was a great night of hanging out and staying warm by the fire.

What happens when you ask Buffalo to take a picture for you: